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Wrench
Force Pro Repair Stand
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Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Chandler, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Craigslist | | Strengths: | Folds to a compact size. Stable and strong. | | Weaknesses: | Legs are kind of hard to extend. The holder could be a little stronger | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Trek Allez Elite | | Bottom Line: | Great value for the money. I have not seen these new anymore and not sure if they are available. It looks comparable to the Ultimate Pro stand and is much less expensive. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
næstep
a Cross Country Rider
from SF Bay Area, California
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria Bike | | Strengths: | Stable tripod base;
Excellent height-adjustable range;
Secure 360° rotation & hold;
Compact & portable when folded;
Reasonably light weight.
| | Weaknesses: | Plastic knob for tightening rotation clamp requires a heavy hand - functional, but an aluminum knob would be better suited to this task;
When breaking down or setting up stand, care must be taken to completely loosen the rotation knob - otherwise, swinging the clamping arm to the extended or folded position can cause square "edge" of the arm to catch the "edge" of the base, chipping the aluminum and eventually causing an unsecure fit. | | Similar Products Used: | Minoura (Spin Doctor) Essential Repair Stand | | Bottom Line: | THIS REVEIW IS FOR THE MODEL BELOW THE WRENCH FORCE PRO. Differences are: Twist clamps instead of QR clamps along telescoping support shaft; large spinning "handle" instead of quick-press knob used for tightening clamp; black instead of red finish.
Finally! I broke down and bought a real repair stand after all these years. Like most of the other reviews below indicate, the Wrench Force stand is stable and secure, adjustable, and portable. Nothing new to add there.
This stand is a pretty close copy of the Pro model, with the above listed differences.
The telescoping sections are secured by the same locking collars as on the Pro, but forgo the quick release lever for bolts with big plastic knobs on the ends. Yeah, they probably take a few more seconds to fasten than the QR clamps, but there are only two of them to deal with.
I like the clamping mechanisim on this stand a little better than the Pro version. Actually, the clamp itself is the same. But instead of the press-then-twist action of the Pro, this version has a 5" weighted "handle" to swing - sort of like a big wing-nut with counterweights at each end. The action of the clamp is sooo smooth and light, that all one needs to to is hold the bike in about the right place (between the clamp), give the "handle" a good pluck with the index finger, and wiiiiiirrrrrrrr, the clamp zips into place. Another half twist of the "handle" completes the deal.
I don't like the plastic knob that secures the 360° rotation — don't get me wrong, it works fine and I'm sure is suited for the job — but it's not a natural feeling putting that much twist onto a piece of plastic. A solid piece of spun aluminum would feel alot more reassuring.
Just be sure to release the clamp arm completely before setting it up or tearing it down. The aluminum is relatively soft and the edges won't take a bunch of thrashing. My particular stand was a store demo; I found a small ding in it that might be a problem down the road if I not careful about it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
smokey strodtman
a Cross Country Rider
from gilliam, MO USA
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | my farm trails here at home | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$210.00 | | Purchased At: | BikeWorld | | Strengths: | QUALITY CONSTRUCTION! absolutely stable with bike at all angles. easy to use and solid clamp mechanism. easy height and tilt adjustment. handy toolbox and holder. folds up easily. the type of product you expect from Snap-On. | | Weaknesses: | none! | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | fisher marlin hardtail and lemond poprad cyclocross bike. | | Bottom Line: | good tools are not an expense, they are an investment. there are many stands out there that cost less than the wrench force, but none that measure up to it in quality and ease of use. this is the last stand you will ever buy. i enjoy working on my bikes in the evening out in the shop, beats channel surfing on the boob tube. this stand makes it a pleasure and will actually encourage you to do regular maintenance on your bike. this can save breakdowns and aggravation on the trail and save you money on parts. get a copy of a good repair manual(like the Zinn book) a good selection of Park tools and a Wrench Force stand. your bikes will thank you for it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AC
a
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$185.00 | | Strengths: | Sturdy, collapsible, fairly priced, toolbox | | Weaknesses: | sags, difficult clamp operation | | Similar Products Used: | Park Pro | | Bottom Line: | This stand was touted as a 5 star item by Bicycling magazine, so I bought it mail order from Performance. I liked it a lot at first, especially the tool box, but now the arm that suspends the bike has sagged about 15 degrees and is getting worse, and the clamp is infuriating. Imagine holding your bike with one arm while patiently winding the clamp screw with the other. For about $75 more I could have had a Park. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark T. Kerr
a Weekend Warrior
from Redwood City,CA
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Any trail in Santa Cruz CA. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$130.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Adjustable Height,I am 6'4.
Rotates 360 degree's and will hold its position.
Very sturdy.
Quick release's are a nice touch for adjusting the stand.
The fat spinning knob for adjusting the angle of the bike
is heavy duty,and very easy to use.
The seapost of your bike is not your only choice for
clamping it to the stand.
Stable on uneven surfaces.
Last,but not least,customer support is excellent.
| | Weaknesses: | The clamp is a little tricky to close with bike in hand.
Not a big deal for the benifets of being able to clamp
onto different part's{material's}of the bike. I have
been told you can clamp it with one hand. | | Similar Products Used: | Are you kidding,took me forever to get this one. | | Bike Setup: | 99 Voodoo Canzo
97 Mazi Z1 with XT/XTR on Sun Ryno wheels. | | Bottom Line: | This stand is proper. I highly recommend you get
the handle bar holder as well. For 12 bucks it's
worth it. When you move the bike in different
position's the bars are all over the place. Yes,
you could make your own,but dont bother. I am
waiting on the tool box so I cant comment on that. When I bought mine it was a demo model,and they had a sale that
day so that's where $130.00 came from. It was just
the stand. The customer support of the company is
something worth saying one more time. Not that you'll
need it though. I'm out.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
zeke
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | groove tube | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$180.00 | | Purchased At: | retail bike store | | Strengths: | Stable, portable and stowable. | | Similar Products Used: | Park folding stands, Park bench-mount and professional stands | | Bottom Line: | The best folding stand I've seen.
I used a roommate's Park folding stand for a year, it sucked - the stand was not stable (any upward force, and the inverted Y turns to an inverted I), the clamp mechanism was much more of a hassle, especially if used on a bike with thin walled tubes.
The wrench force is sweet - very stable, reasonably adjustable. After two years of use, it is still holding up very well. I do still prefer the clamp on the non-portable Park stands, it is more heavy duty, and more convenient to use.
Notice how all the glowing reviews for the Park stands, compare them to not using a stand at all. Notice how most of the reviews for this stand say how much better it is than the Park (folding). Get the point?
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Submitted by
Bruce
a Cross Country Rider
from Mountain View
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Third Divide | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Foldable, stable, easy to use. | | Weaknesses: | Trueing stand is poor. | | Similar Products Used: | Park stand | | Bottom Line: | This stand and the associated tool box are great. It is steady and flexible and easy to use. The slide/screw clamp works fine. The tool box attaches to the stand and opens to make a parts shelf - very handy. The tripod support works well on uneven surfaces, but can lead to unbalanced loads if you don't line up the bike and the legs properly.
My sons and I use this to build and maintain bikes (eight bikes between us) including a 45 pound DH rig, so it gets lots of use. So far it has held up great. My only complaint is the trueing stand, which is marginal for building wheels since the indicator levers are attached directly to the wheel support bars making it hard to center and dish. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joew
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Barbara
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Portability
Adapts to weird tubes and Frames.
Most Stable design. | | Weaknesses: |
Optional Wheel Truing Jig is annoying | | Similar Products Used: |
Park Professional
Park Race
Blackburn
Cinelli
Minoura | | Bottom Line: | since there is no dearth of Park guys, i'd thought i'd chirp up with my take on the wrenchforce.The Wrenchforce stand is my personal favorite of all PORTABLE stands because:a.) folds up like a large camera tripod and fits in a bag. about 4.5' long and about 10lbs.b.) it's a tripod and the most stable on uneven surfaces of all the other designs.c.) the clamp is 4-point (two v-shapes) and applies force evenly on four edges no matter what the tube size. This is important because sometimes i have to (lightly) clamp carbon and titanium tubes (many of which are not even round!) and the fact that the clamp self-adjustst to accommodate these weird and wonderful tubes is the only way I can hold up the frame.d.) the clamp is manual force, not leveraged force. That means that it works like a bench-vise - lots of control on the clamp force. Again, this is important with exotic materials (like Columbus SL tubing!) It is simply not an option every time to clamp the bike by the seatpost.e.) adjustable height. sometimes, doing what i call 'detail' work, i'd like to not be bent over. the clamp can be raised over 6' from the ground which often brings the bottom bracket/crank up to eye high when desired.f.) strong and stable enough to hold up tandems. I've got a Cannondale Los Dos 2000 with suspension forks which weighs as much as a lot of DH rigs. I work on the front end and the back end without having to change the mounting of the frame.So, yeah. It's a great stand and will do just about everything for you. I still have to take the frames out of the stand if I have to do some major leverage work on a bottom bracket, but then, I had a Park Professional a few years ago BOLTED to the floor and still had to do it -> didn't want to damage the frame (not a question of clamp strength or stand rigidity.)
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Submitted by
Jamie
a Cross-Country Rider
from Defreestville, NY
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
The one out my back door | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Strong.
Stable.
As attractive as a work stand can be.
Better value than competitors. | | Weaknesses: |
A bit saggy.
Screw-in mounting clamp can be a bit unwieldy when you're holding the bike with one hand while tightening it with the other. | | Bike Setup: |
Klein Attitude Comp,Stock. | | Bottom Line: | Great value if you buy the pro package @ www.bikeworld.com. Comes with serviceable trueing stand, bag, tool box, & handlebar clamp for great price. And an unsolicited plug for Bikeworld.com: Best service I've found with a great shipping info update system. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dan
a Weekend Warrior
from minnetonka, mn
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
hartley field in duluth | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Well designed
Stable
Makes me happy every time I use it | | Weaknesses: |
It makes me want to thrash the hell out of my bike! | | Similar Products Used: |
Park stands | | Bike Setup: |
'97 S-Works, Manitou | | Bottom Line: | This thing is the bomb. I can not tell you how happy I am with it. You might not think it looks like anything special, and the frame grabber looks like it would be a hassle to take bikes on and off with, but believe me - you won't be disappointed! And get it at www.bikeworld.com for cheap. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bent freak
a cross-country rider
from Cambridge Ma
Date Reviewed: August 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The basic stand is great. The clip on toolbox is fine, as is the bag. Don't bother with the truing stand, I found it clumsy.It will support a lot, I have hung my 12' long 50 pound tandem trike from it. Unfortunately, it maxes out at 1 7/8, and won't take the 2 tube I like to use. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
g.shaw
a cross-country rider
from cambridge, ma
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Got this stand after comparing it side by side with the Park foldable. I found the tri-pod design to be significantly more stable than Park. The Wrench Force clamp is infinitely adjustable. Height is adjustable too, so you can do drivetrain work without stooping. I'd advise skipping the pro kit in favor of the stand alone - in my opinion, it's not worth 80 extra bucks for the tote bag, tool box, handlebar holder, and (very barebones) truing stand. I've had it for a month now, and use it several times a week for general maintenance. So far, so good. Seems like it'll last a long while, although a number of crucial parts are made of a plastic-like material, so who knows. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KEVIN
a weekend warrior
from MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Costs a little more than the Park consumer stand but well worth it!Very adjustable in height and bike position, foldable, light and an amazing clamp/clutch mechanism which is infinitely adjustable...not a 2 position switch like the Park. Also you have complete control over the clamp pressure,tightening by a finger adjust knob not a leveraged clamp which could pinch tubes easier.
Hopefully the last stand I ever buy! A great workstand. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alain
a weekend warrior
from Québec city
Date Reviewed: April 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Yes' I really love this stand. You can adjust your bike upside down if you want!
Even if you are 6 foot 8, the adjustability of the stand wont make you cramp. 50 wods! Wha t can I say? it hold your bike really tight and the mounting for the toolbox hold my beer pretty well thanks | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gregg
a racer
from CT
Date Reviewed: April 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Very good quality item. Folds up real nice (can fit on the floor behind the front seats in an eagle talon.... that's convenient). The grip and jaw etc. are pretty solid and relatively easy to move the bike around. Only real grip is that you need to position the bike centered over one of the legs or it is a bit unstable... if you do it, then it is pretty stable (I can take my cranks off with the bike on it). -1 chili just for the minor instability. | | Overall Rating: |
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